Paper or cloth veneer



(ModL) F KOSKUL Paper. or Cloth Veneer.

Patented April 19, 1881'.

Inventor.

a w l W NPEIERS. PHOTD-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK KOSKUL, OF GRAND .RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

PAPER OR CLOTH VENEER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 240,255, dated April 19, 1881.

Application filed February 11, 188]. (Specimens) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK KosKUL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Paper Veneer, of which the following is a-specification.

My invention relates, first, to paper or cloth veneer having ornaments of any desired design formed on its back surface and seen by the eye of the observer as though formed on the front surface of the paper veneer; second, to paper or cloth veneer having ornaments of any desired design formed on its back surface and seen by the eye of the observer as though formed on the front surface of the paper or cloth veneer, and also having additional orna-' mentation or a part of the original design formed on the front surface of such paper or cloth veneer; third, to paper or cloth veneer having ornaments of any design formed on its back surface, or partly on its back and partly on its front surface, and varnished and pressed fourth, to paper or cloth veneer varnished, baked, and pressed.

The nature of my invention will be fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which latter- Figure 1 is a front view of a piece of paper or cloth veneering with an ornament formed upon it in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a section of the same applied to a foundation of wood; Fig. 3, a front view, and Fig. 4 a section, showing a modification of Figs. 1 and 2.

In carrying out my invention 1 use either paper, linen, cotton, muslin, or any other thin cloth or woven fibrous material, E, which is pliable or flexible, and which is already prepared, so as to be transparent or semi-transparent, or which will become transparent when any of the well-known substances which will render it transparent are applied to its back surface or to its back and front surfaces. On such paper or cloth E, I paint, print, or otherwise produce the outline of any desired ornament, as illustrated at A in the drawings. This outline may be either on the front or back surface of the paper or cloth E. Having thus outlined the ornament, I then paint on the back surface of the paper, in either blue, red, yellow, gold, or any other desired color, or any combination of such colors, all that part which is within the outline of the ornament, as illustrated at B in the drawings. This done, the ground surface is finished on the back surface of the paper with any color which it is desired to have the paper or cloth veneer imitate, as illustrated at G in the drawings. This process is comparatively inexpensive, as the colors are easily applied, and in special cases, where small quantities of pat-terns or veneers of a small or simple ornamental design are required, it is even cheaper than printing, no printin g-blocks being required. In cases where the designs are elaborateand are extensively used printing would cost less.

In some instances the outline may be produced upon the paper or cloth by either stencilin g or transferring an ornament on the front and then painting on the back of the paper or cloth in either solid plain color, or in ornamental patterns with any desired color. Again, by sprinkling colors on the back of the paper or cloth a marbling or granite imitation can be produced. Indeed, almost any desired ornamentation now known and produced, by painting or otherwise producing on the front surface of paper veneer or upon articles direct, can be secured under my mode of procedure, and therefore my invention is not confined to any style of ornament, nor to any implements for placing the ornaments upon the paper; nor to having the mere outline produced on either the front or back of the paper; nor to any color or combination of colors; nor to means used for making the contrast of one color with another, as colors in gold, bronze, and other metals may be used.

As a modification of the mode just described I propose sometimes to produce the outline of the ornament upon the paper or cloth veneer, then to fill the ground surface on the front and outside of the ornamental outline with any desired color, as at C, Fig. 3, and afterward to paint on the back of the paper or cloth veneer with a colorin which it is desired to have the ornament appear. This last operation may consist of a simple solid coat of either blue, yellow, white, black, or any other paint, as at B, Fig. 3, and the coat may extend entirely over the back of the paper veneer, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

In some instances it is desirable to have the colors appear stronger at some points than at others, and by painting partly on the front and partly on the back of the paper veneer this object can be secured. Dots and other prominent ornaments a can thus be readily produced on the front, while all the rest of the ornamental pattern may be painted on the back and yet be seen at the front of the paper or cloth veneer, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 4.

In preparing the paper or cloth veneers I prefer to stretch or fasten the same to a frame, as this will prevent the paper or linen from becoming wrinkled and after the decorations are finished the paper or cloth veneers are varnished one, two, or more times, and allowed to dry thoroughly. When the varnish has become set and dry the veneers are subjected to a sufficient pressure either between rolling or fiat surfaces, to render the same smooth, even, and hard.

In most instances I prefer to use bakingvarnish for varnishing the paper veneers, and when this varnish is used one, two, or more coats are applied, and one, two, or more bakings are adopted-that is, if one coat of baking-varnish is applied one baking is necessary; if two coats are applied then two bakings are necessary, and so on, according to the number of coats of varnish applied. The process of baking is similar to that followed in enameling slate mantels.

Heretofore paper veneer has been produced in the following manner: The paper is printed on its front surface with some desirable pattern and stuck upon the wood foundation D, or other material, and afterward varnished. With such mode of procedure there cannot be secured as nice and line appearing work as is desirable for the following reasons The wood foundation 1) very seldom presents a perfectly-uniform surface, and the paper veneer being of a very thin substance it is not easy to obtain a perfectly-smooth surface even by varnishing and rubbing down, and after repeated varnishing the paper veneer appears to presentin some places an unevenness, with here and there raised protuberances; and very often the paper veneer is injured by too much rubbing down of the varnish, and it cannot be repaired without considerable trouble, and very often not at all. There is also a liability of the finishing-varnish cracking if the varnish is applied too thick or in successive coats. In view of the foregoing difficulty it was found less expensive to paint directly on the wood foundation.

By my invention the difficulty and great expense are avoided, and the paper or cloth veneering may be applied as well to moldings, round, concave, and other irregular surfaces, as to flat or plane surfaces.

In carrying out inyinvention I find that thin paper, even though not transparent before being painted upon, will become transparent or semi-transparent by the effect of the colors employed, and therefore my invention is not confined to paper or cloth which is transparent before being painted upon, but extends to ve neer-paper painted on its rear surface and which is rendered transparent by the process of painting with appropriate colors.

I have stated heretofore in this specification that the wood foundation very seldom presents a perfectly-uniform surface, and I will further state that although this defect may be remedied by filling with a substance known as .wood-tiller, there often occurs, from carelessness ofthe workmen, an unevenness; but principally from the glue or cement between the veneer and the foundation, it being difficultto evenly spread the glue or cement, and the least inattention of the workmen will result in the formation of raised protuberances upon the veneer.

I have also heretofore stated in this specification that the paper will become transparent or semi-transparent by the etfect of the colors employed, and I would further state that the applying of the varnish on the front surface of the paper veneer will greatly increase the transparency of some paper, as wellas heighten the colors; and with reference to the process of baking and pressing the paper veneer, I would state, further, that I prefer pressingin all cases, as it saves the necessity of rubbing down the surface. Good coachvarnish will not require baking, but baking-varnish will facilitate the production of the veneer, and when used the veneer may be pressed afterits application to it, and thus save the labor and expense of rubbing down as well as avoid marrin g the surface.

The veneering herein described may be pro videdon its back surface with a suitable adhesive material by which it is secured to its foundation.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Paper or cloth veneer painted on the rear surface of the paper or cloth, and such painting exhibited to the eye of the observeron the front surface of the paper or cloth, by means of the transparency of the cloth, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Paper or cloth veneer painted on the rear surface of the paperor cloth and varnished and pressed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. Paper or cloth veneer painted partly on its rear surface and partly on its front surface, the painting on the rear surface being exhibited to the eye of the observer on the front surface of the veneer by means of the transparency or seini-trans )arency of the veneer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. Paper or cloth veneer varnished, baked, and pressed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

FREDERICK KOSKUL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES G. GODFROY, LINCOLN BOWEN.

IIO

TIS 

